Wednesday, March 5, 2014

A picture
making the rounds on Facebook caught my eye. It's like an image straight from
WWII: bombed buildings on a wide avenue, concrete and brick walls fragile as
broken eggshells. In the Facebook image, stands a vast carpet of humanity. Just as
people crowd to hail a visiting pontiff, these masses are
lined shoulder to shoulder. The scene is gray. Slate sky, walls and people.
Even the faces seem drawn and colorless.

This is Syria,
and the people are in line for bread. It seems impossible to gauge their numbers, because the queue appears to stretch into infinity. Faces fill
the length and breadth of the frame to the horizon, even peering from patches
and holes that have been blown from structures.

“Apocalyptic” is the word that comes to mind.

I always hate to hit the "like" button on such an
image, because what's to like? But I went ahead and joined 6,003 others in
"liking” the photo, and then 2,080 others in "sharing" it.

Up popped “A Prayer for the People of Syria,” on the United
States Catholic Conference of Bishops website. Thank you, Facebook and U.S. bishops, for drawing
me to prayer on this frigid, snowy Ash Wednesday. My cross of ashes is on my
forehead, and my prayers are now with the war-torn people of Syria:

A Prayer for the People of Syria

Almighty eternal God,
source of all compassion,
the promise of your mercy and saving help fills our hearts with hope.
Hear the cries of the people of Syria;
bring healing to those suffering from the violence,
and comfort to those mourning the dead.
Empower and encourage Syria’s neighbors
in their care and welcome for refugees.
Convert the hearts of those who have taken up arms,
and strengthen the resolve of those committed to peace.

O God of hope and Father
of mercy,
your Holy Spirit inspires us to look beyond ourselves and our own needs.
Inspire leaders to choose peace over violence
and to seek reconciliation with enemies.
Inspire the Church around the world with compassion for the people of Syria,
and fill us with hope for a future of peace built on justice for all.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace and Light of the World,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

Petition:

For the people of Syria,
that God may strengthen the resolve of leaders to end the
fighting and choose a future of peace.

A mission field for bloggers:

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A member of this great group...

And podcast "Missionary Moments" on Deacon Tom and Dee Fox's site offering nutrients to the soul...

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Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence...

Click image to hear my family sing "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence," and my poem and meditation on "Silent Joy." This Advent/Christmas reflection is featured at the beginning of Catholic Vitamins podcast "Z" for Zealousness. Deacon Tom Fox's featured guest for the show is Catholic novelist and Chicago native Thomas Craughwell.